Taylor Hicks

ARTICLES ABOUT TAYLOR HICKS BY DATE - PAGE 2

Taylor Hicks is going Teen Angel.The "American Idol" Season 5 winner is joining the Broadway cast of "Grease" in early June and he says he plans to add a little "soulful flavor" to his performance of "Beauty School Dropout." "It's a big number, and, you know, I've made some pretty grand entrances before," Hicks said. "And this one is probably the grandest entrance I've had in my career." Hicks feels this as an "opportunity of a lifetime." ---------- The Personals page was compiled by the staff of RedEye, and news services contributed.

Paula Abdul -- choreographer, pop star, "American Idol" judge and dog lover -- had to go to the bathroom before a recent interview, which made her a little late, and then ... PA: Sorry! I got stopped by two gentlemen who wanted to take a picture. As long as it's not in the bathroom. Oh, that's happened. A fan leaned over and took a picture, and I was mortified and she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. It's a mad world. It is. I honestly was weirded out by that and she was so nervous that she thought I wouldn't even notice.

American Idol 7 p.m. Tuesday WFLD-Ch. 32 A few years ago it seemed "American Idol" was an unstoppable pop-culture force, attracting legions of squealing fans, dominating TV ratings and producing a lineup of stars with big-selling albums and popular concerts. Its reach was almost to the point of ubiquity -- if an "Idol" star wasn't on the radio, the concert tour was coming through town; even the original versions of songs covered by contestants seemed to get a bump. Though the show still ranked No. 1 last season, a drop in ratings raised the question: Had "Idol" passed its prime?

First, Ruben Studdard was told, "Sorry." Then it was Taylor Hicks' turn to go solo on his "Soul Patrol." Now, Billboard magazine reports that record label Sony BMG is saying goodbye to yet another "American Idol" alum. This time, it's Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee, whose sole eponymous effort for the label has sold 365,500-plus copies since 2006. Sony BMG is the parent company to Arista, Columbia, Epic, J Records, RCA and others. McPhee's dismissal has yet to be officially confirmed by RCA Records, but Entertainment Weekly and other media are reporting her departure.

1. Surprise! Apparently there's a "Zoey 101" Valentine's Day card featuring Jamie Lynn Spears. Ladies, I can't stress this enough: Never has there been at your disposal a more powerful weapon for freaking out your date. 2. The next level In the same week Taylor Hicks' record label dropped him comes news that Katharine McPhee has left hers. The Magic 8 Ball sees a multi-year gig at a Chuck E. Cheese's in their futures. 3. Fake sale On Wednesday the Supreme Court listened to arguments against an Indiana law that requires voters to bring ID to the polls.

The doctor is out. Dr. Phil McGraw has canceled plans for a show that was to examine Britney Spears' latest public meltdown, saying that the 26-year-old pop star's situation was "too intense" for him to go forward. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he likes Prince Charles and thinks President Bush is crazy, in an interview with Naomi Campbell in the British edition of GQ magazine. The supermodel spoke to Chavez in her role as contributing editor to British GQ, the magazine said.

What do we know about 2010? We know it was the title of a 1984 sequel to Stanley Kubrick's film masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey." We also know it's the year Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will publish his memoir. (Apparently it's taking him some time to gather his thoughts.) Most recently, we found out DreamWorks plans to release "Shrek 4" in theaters on May 10, 2010. And so -- with sincere apologies to late-night host Conan O'Brien -- RedEye peers into its crystal ball to predict other pop culture phenomena we can expect ... IN THE YEAR 2010 Nicole Richie will have three kids, drive a mini-van and run a successful quilting business out of her suburban L.A. home.

Are you smarter than a pop culture junkie? Pencils ready. Aaaaaand, go. 1. Which of the following celebs did NOT get a new reality show this week? a.)Snoop Dogg b.) David Beckham c.) David Hasselhoff 2. Justin Timberlake opened a restaurant in Manhattan this week. What is its name? a.) 'N Sink b.) Southern Hospitality c.)SexyBack Ribs d.)JT's 3. What did Lily Allen reveal during a TV appearance this week? a.)she has a third nipple b.)

Jordin Sparks may be the new "American Idol," but she is still, like, such a teenager. The day after her big victory, Sparks, 17, was asked by reporters what typically acid-tongued judge Simon Cowell had to say to her. "He was like, 'Congratulations, Jordin. You deserved it.' And I was like, 'Thank you.' And he gave me a hug and it was like, 'Oh my God! Simon Cowell is hugging me!'" Sparks, who also got plenty of hugs and good wishes from runner-up Blake Lewis on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, is already dressing like a star.

By Katie McCollow. KATIE MCCOLLOW IS A REDEYE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR | May 23, 2007

Tonight's the night we've all been waiting for. On Tuesday, "American Idol" finalists Blake and Jordin sang "This Is Now," the winner of this season's online songwriting competition that will become the "Idol" winner's first single. It just so happens that I also wrote a song. "An Idol Like This" (SUNG TO THE TUNE OF KELLY CLARKSON'S "A MOMENT LIKE THIS") I won! I'm the winner, the "American Idol" Now it's time to pretend I'm not ashamed of that title I might be headed for a career covering Abba's "Mama Mia" But it'll still be better than listening to Paula's verbal diarrhea (Chorus)